Crystal Vicars is a mixed media artist and educator originally from the Indianapolis area. She received her MFA in Painting with Distinction, from Indiana State University in 2009. Crystal is Chair of the Department of Art and Design and a Studio Art Professor at Marian University. Vicars’ current body of work is inspired by the ephemeral characteristic of nature, and life. With paint and sometimes collage materials she creates textured surfaces that invite the viewer into a world of colorful layers. For Crystal, painting is a spiritual event. The space between artist and canvas is natural, supernatural, and spiritual. Vicars enjoys the evolution of process, and her paintings address one’s inner self, connecting with the outside world. With her research of nature and traversing through its many forms, she creates an abstract translation that visually explores physicality and place. Crystal has been in numerous group and solo exhibitions including Interesting Artifacts, a group show at the Harrison Center for the Arts, Contemporary Landscapes at the Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri. California Open National Juried Exhibition at TAG, Los Angeles, California. She has also received grants and awards for her work such as Religion, Spirituality, and the Arts (RSA) artist grant program through the IUPUI Arts and Humanities Institute.
